Is a urinal a suitable place to advertise?

Is a urinal a suitable place to advertise?

“I don’t want my company’s brand name to be seen in a lavatory.” This is the feedback we sometimes receive. Outmoded if you ask me. In fact advertising in a lavatory is an entirely different approach and very interesting!

In years gone by, we did not really understand how our brain makes a decision. Through the years, various studies have shown that we first make a decision with our ‘reptile brain’.

The reptilian part of our brain includes the main structures found in a reptile’s brain: the brainstem and the cerebellum. The reptilian brain is reliable but tends to be somewhat rigid and compulsive.

We then try to argue those decisions with our human brain (our neocortex). As a marketer it is important to take this into account. Our reptile brain is extremely dominant when it comes to making decisions. It is after all our mighty guardian. The reptile brain does have a few special features:

1. The reptile brain does not remember everything as well.
   If you are in a store or make a decision online, you usually don’t remember where you saw that product for the first time. Usually it accumulates over different times before you make a purchase.
2. The reptile brain is visually-oriented.
   From the moment we are born we focus strongly on the visual aspect. The majority of our communication is non-verbal. Images are very defining. Video is therefore more determining than text or sound.
3. The reptile brain decides quickly.
   Studies show that a decision is made even within milliseconds. First impressions count. Just think when you meet someone for the first time, most of the time you immediately form a judgment.

In many cases, advertising on a urinal in a lavatory is interesting and unique.

• The man standing in front of the urinal is hardly distracted.
• The man is relaxed and usually in a good mood because he is in a place where he feels comfortable such as in a restaurant, sports club or bar. In addition, he is usually there in good company. He feels good and feeling is important for our reptile brain (the decision maker).
• The urinal with built-in video player is visual. The images move and attract attention. Our reptile brain is sensitive to this.
• The time at the urinal is short. A video does not have to last long and a good impression is quickly formed by the viewer.

Based on the characteristics of our reptile brain, it is therefore important that the video is properly tuned to the specific moment and duration of the video. TwinSight Media marketers can help with that!

Written by Remco de Bruijn, director, TwinSight Media